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Category Archives:Snacks

My middle son has it right (or second eldest as I like to call him, so fearful am I of ‘middle child’ syndrome); he gives up chocolate for Lent.

Now this is not a humble-brag about how wonderful my son is, how he is already able to deny himself pleasure in the quest for enlightenment. Oh no. He actually doesn’t like chocolate. He’s a chocolate rejector (what did I do wrong?!) so for him, giving up chocolate is no hardship. He doesn’t eat it anyway. But it does get him brownie points with his teachers and other parents. READ MORE

We’re almost there. The tree is up (hopefully), some of the presents are ordered. Maybe some are wrapped. I’m hoping you at the very least have partaken in a little glass of mulled wine with a mince pie chaser by now. READ MORE

Anyone who knows me well, knows I LOVE cheese. I always choose the cheese board after dinner. I am often to be found nibbling on slithers of cheese straight from the fridge. I am a cheese fiend. Cheese would be my last supper. And Comté is up there for me; in my top cheeses. It’s creamy, nutty and moreish. And has a fabulous name. I can channel my inner French woman. (And for anyone wondering how you pronounce it, it’s ‘com-tay’ – I am always the girl who asks for the correct pronunciation so tend to pass the news on). READ MORE

I have hosted many a Halloween party. I know every game inside out. We’ve done it all. Spooky cupcake decorating, pin the hat on the witch, wrapping small children up as mummies using cheap loo paper, bobbing for apples, ghoul discos… I won’t go on. They’re all fun. But really you may as well ditch the lot and just go straight for the doughnuts on a string. It is one of the funniest games I have ever had the joy to see my children play. Proper belly laughter. And if you manage to fill the house with the aroma of freshly fried doughnuts in the process then bonus points for everyone. If you go a step further and add a doughnut to a boozy freak shake for the adult guests then, well, a spooky high five to you. READ MORE

Is it tiffin? Is it chocolate fridge cake? Is it chocolate biscuit cake? Oh who knows! All I know is that this is beyond delicious. I ate some for breakfast this morning and then I ate some for lunch. I am planning on a lot of veggies for my dinner to make up for this behaviour. I don’t promise this is sugar free. In fact I don’t promise anything nutritionally from this recipe. All I will say is that if you are making it in the gargantuan quantities I do then do share the tiffin love. READ MORE

These cheese straws are rather moody looking. Kind of designer straws. But they’re not in any way moody to eat. I can’t stress enough how much joy these bring. They take very little time to knock up, deliver lots of flavour and are a perfect snack for younger members of the family as well as being loved by the older red wine drinkers of the family. READ MORE

I always feel going out on Valentine’s is a bit strange. I remember as a teen venturing out with my much older boyfriend (erm, me just 17 and him, ahem, 27… how to give your parents minor heart palpitations) and sitting in a restaurant marvelling at how all the couples looked like they hated each other. They sat in silence. Staring into the abyss. Of course now I realise they were probably just tired parents, relieved of their kids of the night. READ MORE

Pizzas are such a popular dinner, and these are super healthy, speedy versions using homemade oat ‘flour’ without any yeast, so there’s no waiting about for the dough to prove. Let the kids top their own oat pizzas using whatever you have in the fridge. These are even delicious cold in lunchboxes the next day. READ MORE

Puff pastry is not something I make regularly. In fact, I last made it for my own personal ‘joy’ in 2010/11. I am not ‘that’ woman who scoffs at buying pastry. I don’t judge. I’m too easy a victim of other’s judgement. I mean, I have three sons for a start. READ MORE

There’s probably nothing I love more than the combination of some form of crispy potato with a perfectly cooked fried egg. Perhaps it’s a throwback from childhood when egg and chips was a ‘treat’ meal. READ MORE

I’m a mum of 3 boys, a cookbook writer and also a finalist on the 2011 Great British Bake Off.
I’ve decided to record the recipes I use, partly to save them somewhere and partly in case someone else might like to use them...
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